Quick Info
| Profession | Indian Social Activist |
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| Nationality | Indian |
| Date of Birth | 22/05/1972 |
| Age | 54 years |
| Birthplace | Bangalore |
Latest News about Dr Sunitha Krishnan
04/06/2026
In interviews marking 35 years of activism, Sunitha Krishnan spoke about the repeated violent attacks she has faced because of her anti-trafficking work. She also said her organization Prajwala has helped rescue around 32,000 girls from trafficking situations, underscoring the scale of her work and its continuing relevance.
30/04/2026
Sunitha Krishnan was selected for the MP Veerendra Kumar Memorial National Thought Leadership Award, recognizing her long-standing work against human trafficking and sexual exploitation. Reports noted her leadership at Prajwala and her continued efforts to rehabilitate survivors and strengthen anti-trafficking awareness.
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Bio/Wiki
| Sunitha Krishnan is an Indian social activist and co-founder and chief functionary of Prajwala, an NGO that rescues, rehabilitates, and reintegrates sex-trafficked victims. | |
| She is widely known for her work against human trafficking and sexual exploitation. | |
| She holds a Ph.D. in Psychiatric Social Work and has studied Environmental Science. | |
| She is the founder of Aprajitha, the first survivor-led movement for survivors of sex trafficking. |
Educational Qualification(s)
| School | Kendriya Vidyalaya Waltair, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh |
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Personal Life
| Hobbies | Reading Books and Travelling |
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| Controversy | Her campaign '#ShameTheRapist' created controversy in the media, where people used to share the rape videos on WhatsApp. |
Relationships & More
| Marital Status | Married |
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Family
| Husband | Rajesh Touchriver (Indian Film Director) | ||||
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| Parents |
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Career
| Awards, Honours, Achievements |
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Social Media
| https://www.facebook.com/sunitha.krishnan.33 | |
| https://x.com/sunita_krishnan |
Some Lesser Known Facts
| 1. Sunitha Krishnan is a prominent Indian social activist dedicated to combating human trafficking. | |
| 2. She was born in Bangalore to a Palakkad Malayali family. | |
| 3. At eight years old, she began teaching dance to mentally challenged children. | |
| 4. By age 12, she established a school in a slum area for underprivileged children. | |
| 5. At 15, she was tragically gang-raped by eight men during her work with the Dalits on a literacy campaign. | |
| 6. Motivated by her experiences, she committed herself to fighting human trafficking and aiding rape survivors in India. | |
| 7. Despite facing threats and life-threatening attacks, she continues her courageous work. | |
| 8. She has contributed to creating and producing documentaries addressing social issues, with a focus on human trafficking. | |
| 9. She co-founded Prajwala in 1996 with Bro Jose Vetticatil, an NGO that rescues, rehabilitates, and reintegrates sex-trafficked victims. | |
| 10. Prajwala operates 17 transition centers for second-generation prevention, shelter homes for rescued victims including HIV-positive individuals, and economic rehabilitation programs training survivors in skills like carpentry, welding, printing, masonry, and housekeeping. | |
| 11. She drafted Kerala's Nirbhaya policy in 2011 to fight sexual violence and trafficking, and served as its advisor; the policy coordinates multiple government departments with NGOs. | |
| 12. She conducted action research in 2002 resulting in the document 'The Shattered Innocence' on inter-state trafficking from Andhra Pradesh. | |
| 13. She has influenced policies including India's first anti-trafficking policy, minimum standards of care for shelters, sex offenders registry, and video conferencing for victim evidence. | |
| 14. Her Public Interest Litigations have led to comprehensive anti-trafficking legislation and victim protection protocols. | |
| 15. She holds a Ph.D. and has studied psychiatric social work. | |
| 16. She pioneered campaigns such as Movement Against Trafficking (MAT), Men Against Demand (MAD), #ShameTheRapist, and Swaraksha community awakening caravan. | |
| 17. She founded the first survivor-led movement Aprajitha for survivors of sex trafficking. |